Category: All Networks

Helpful New Tracking Tool Added to CROWNWeb

Have you worked in CROWNWeb lately? If not, don’t miss out on the new End-Stage Quality Report and Systems Facility Dashboard. This dashboard will help your facility track the many important forms that are due to CMS, as well as progress with your data entry. It allows you to view the 2728 forms in three categories: New, Due, and Past due forms.  The dashboard also helps facilities track:

  •  2746 Forms
  •  Notification & Accretions
  •  System Discharges
  •  PART
  •  Clinical Depression Screenings
  •  Pain Assessments
  •  Form 2744
  •  Clinical Data

Use the EQRS Facility Dashboard to help ensure that your facility is meeting ESRD QIP requirements  and achieving compliance with CMS data submission guidelines. Check out the new dashboard to see all the new features!

CMS Extends Q1 2017 NHSN Deadline for ESRD QIP Reporting

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an extension of the deadline for 2017 First Quarter NHSN reporting to Monday, July 31, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. PT. The extension will allow facilities the opportunity to ensure data are complete and accurate in accordance with ESRD QIP reporting policy.

To read the full announcement, please click here.

The current ESRD QIP measure set is not designed to measure the quality of care provided to patients with acute kidney injuries (AKI). CMS will use only ESRD patient data to calculate the NHSN Bloodstream Infection (BSI) clinical measure, NHSN Dialysis Event reporting measure, or any other measure in the ESRD QIP for Payment Year (PY) 2019; AKI patient data will not be included in the calculations.

However, facilities are encouraged to consider reporting AKI patients on a voluntary basis for internal quality improvement efforts and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public health surveillance purposes. Please use the following guidelines to ensure AKI patient data are excluded from QIP scoring purposes for Calendar Year (CY) 2017 NHSN BSI data.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the extension, please contact the CMS ESRD QIP team at esrdqip@cms.hhs.gov with “AKI” in the subject line.

If you have questions regarding how to remove patients with AKI from data reported to NHSN, please contact the NHSN helpdesk at NHSN@cdc.gov with “Dialysis” in the subject line.

Ticket to Work: Resources for Patients on SSI/SSDI

Do your patients want to re-enter the work force?  Do they need vocational training?  The Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work Program can help Social Security beneficiaries go to work while they keep their health coverage. Ticket to Work service providers offer Social Security disability beneficiaries (persons who receive SSI or SSDI), age 18 through 64, who want to work with free job support.  Services offered may include job coaching, job counseling, training, benefits counseling and job placement.  Additional information and resources to help your patients  learn more about the Ticket to Work program and Social Security’s Work Incentives are available below:

Call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842/ 866-833-2967 (TTY)

Star Ratings-Demystify the Updated Dialysis Facility Compare Quality Measures

The June 2016 Technical Notes, published on the Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) website, can help to demystify quality measures (QMs) that impact facility ratings.  Nine of the thirteen QMs reported on the Medicare DFC website are used to calculate the Star Rating for facilities, based on the October 2016 release date (Calendar Year 2015 data).  Please educate ALL members of your staff about what these measures are and how to speak with patients and family members about their care and what these measures mean to them. 

For more information, including the quality measures used in Star Rating calculation, please see: https://dialysisdata.org/sites/default/files/content/Methodology/UpdatedDFCStarRatingMethodology.pdf

Understanding Shared Responsibilities in Managing Difficult Behaviors in Dialysis

When challenged with the task and responsibility of delivering high quality health care, it is also necessary to take an in depth view and analyze causation of grievances, behaviors and issues that result in patients becoming at risk to having no access to dialysis care.  This can include involuntary discharge (IVD) or involuntary transfer (IVT) of a patient from a facility.  Managing Disruptive Behavior by Patients and Physicians: A Responsibility of the Dialysis Facility Medical Director, published by the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, directly speaks to the challenges and opportunities available that require collaborative efforts to uncover root causes, as well as the effectiveness of leadership at the facility level.

ESRD Networks serve as a resource to both patients and providers for grievance mitigation and conflict resolution. For assistance, please contact your local Network.

CMS Proposes 2018 Policy and Payment Rate Changes for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities

Proposed rule builds patient-centered system of care to increase competition, quality and care.

 

CMS has issued a proposed rule that would update payment policies for the ESRD Prospective Payment System (PPS). The ESRD PPS proposed rule is one of several for calendar year 2018 designed to relieve regulatory burdens for providers; support the patient-doctor relationship in healthcare; and promote transparency, flexibility, and innovation in the delivery of care.

The ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP) proposed changes are for payment years 2019, 2020, and 2021, and affect a number of key dialysis data methodologies and quality measures. The proposed rule also invites comment on how to include individuals with acute kidney injury in the ESRD QIP. 

For a fact sheet on the proposed rule, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-06-29.html

The ESRD proposed rule (CMS 1674-P) can be downloaded from the Federal Register at: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/

 

Resources to Help Reduce Healthcare Disparities in Vulnerable Populations

CMS has established programs and educational resources to promote the reduction of healthcare disparities in the medically vulnerable patient population. The CMS Equity Plan for Medicare aims to help healthcare practitioners take action to reduce disparities among minority populations.

“The Office of Minority Health’s (OMH) vision is to eliminate disparities in healthcare quality and access and to help all CMS beneficiaries achieve their highest level of health.” The ESRD Networks, QIO Program, and CMS have made several resources available to support these efforts.

Please click here to access resources that will help staff members better understand how to collect, measure, and reduce disparities in healthcare outcomes. Also included are success stories and best practices for reducing health disparities that can be leveraged by practitioners and care partners.

 

CMS Survey and Certification Updates

Recently, the CMS Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Survey and Certification Group sent out the following memorandums related to the ESRD recertification surveys:

  1. Filling Saline Syringes at the Patient Treatment Station – ESRD facilities may not fill syringes with saline from the single dose saline bag or IV tubing connected to the patient at the dialysis station. This guideline became effective as of July 2, 2017.
  2. Cleaning the Patient Station – To prevent cross contamination, a dialysis station should be completely vacated by the previous patient before the ESRD staff may begin cleaning and disinfecting the station for the next patient. Patients should not be moved from the dialysis station until they are clinically stable.
  3. Hepatitis C (HCV) Screening Exception – All infection control recommendations developed by the CDC and referenced in the Conditions of Coverage for ESRD must be followed with the exception of HCV screening.

 

Vascular Access Reporting in CROWNWeb

CMS has tasked all dialysis facilities with ensuring that clinical data is accurately entered, tracked, and reported in CROWNWeb. To assist with this process, the Network encourages all facilities to compare their internal electronic medical records (EMRs) of patient level vascular access data with what has been entered in CROWNWeb on a monthly basis (both systems should be the same). The CROWNWeb Vascular Access in Use report can be used to support data validation.

If your organization utilizes batch submission, data in your EMRs upload to CROWNWeb. If there are discrepancies between the Vascular Access in Use report and your facility’s EMRs, please follow the guidelines provided in the Vascular Access Data Cleanup in CROWNWeb to reconcile the data.

Vascular access data is a clinical indicator for the Quality Incentive Program (QIP), and errors in reporting can affect payment and, ultimately, your facility’s scoring in Dialysis Facility Compare.

Previewing Your Facility’s 2016 Performance Data

The preview period for reviewing your facility’s 2016 performance data will begin July 17, 2017, when CMS will make the preview Performance Score Report (PSR) available to facilities.  These reports show the performance results that CMS will use to determine if a facility will incur a payment reduction for Payment Year (PY) 2018. 

For information about the PY2018 QIP process please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/ESRDQIP/Downloads/PY-2018-Program-Details.pdf

During the month-long Preview Period, facilities can review their measure scores and ask CMS questions about how their scores were calculated.  Facilities will also be able to submit one formal inquiry if they find or suspect an error in how their scores were calculated.  To access your facility’s data visit https://dialysisdata.org and sign in using your Enterprise Identity Management (EDIM) sign in and password. 

 For information regarding performance year 2016, which will affect PY 2018, refer to CMS ESRD Measures Manual Version 1.0.

Central Venous Catheters in Dialysis: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Central venous catheters (CVC) continue to remain a common modality of vascular access in end stage kidney disease patients maintained on hemodialysis. The increased morbidity and mortality associated with CVC, when compared to arteriovenous fistulas and grafts, is a serious health problem and a big challenge to the nephrology community. An article “Central Venous Catheters in Dialysis: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” written by Nabil J. Haddad, Sheri Van Cleef , Anil K. Agarwal and published in the Volume 10, 2017 issue of The Open Urology & Nephrology Journal, presents the pros and cons of CVC, in addition to the different complications and excessive economical costs related to their use.

According to the authors, a CVC is placed in the acute setting when immediate treatment can be lifesaving.   For long term therapy though, the complications can be life threatening secondary to a poorly functioning catheter, central venous stenosis or blood stream infection (BSI).

The dysfunctional catheter leads to suboptimal dialysis clearance and impacts on the patients general wellness and quality of life.  If bacteremia is noted by positive blood cultures the course of treatment requires long-term antibiotic therapy with the possibility of sepsis and extended hospitalization.  Lastly the central venous stenosis (CVS) may require the patient to undergo both endovascular procedures and surgical intervention to correct the stenosis.

The authors conclude the best plan of care for the patient who requires renal replacement therapy is early referral to a nephrologist and vascular surgeon for placement of an arteriovenous fistula or a graft.  Early intervention decreases the incidence of morbidity and mortality with the goal of improving patient outcomes, quality of life and financial stewardship of healthcare resources.

The full article can be found in The Open Urology & Nephrology Journal, 2012, 5, (Suppl 1: M3) 12-18, at  https://benthamopen.com/FULLTEXT/TOUNJ-5-12

Updated EIDM Password Policy Requirements

Enterprise Identity Management(EIDM) has implemented a Dictionary word exclusion password  policy. A restriction has been placed on passwords by prohibiting  the use of any password that contains words consisting of three  letters or more that form dictionary words.”

The new password needs to be random letters, numbers, a special character, and capital letter.  An example, of a password that is acceptable is Hbfc#8675.

To learn more about acceptable passwords for EIDM.

Please click on link to read CROWN Memo.